Barney's Blog

Did the Internet Mess Up 9/11?

Yesterday should have been a somber, reasoned reflection on the events that occurred in 2001. We should have been celebrating the rebirth of the World Trade Center, which will be the tallest building in Manhattan as long as the city has a heart. We should have been coming together as we did that day 11 years ago. We should have had a little class.

What did we do instead? The maker of a virulently anti-Muslim video gleefully posted a clip on YouTube, with the full knowledge of the reaction it would create. Then the idiot pastor who burned the Koran (protests of that directly resulted in 21 deaths) promoted the video all day yesterday. And these toads don't feel at all responsible for the murder of Chris Stevens, our ambassador to Libya and three other Americans? I guess it's OK since this time only four people died.

And how do the folks in Cairo and Libya celebrate their new-found freedom? By attacking us on a day of mourning. Class. Pure class.

Meanwhile, on our home turf, politics can't even pause for 9/11. Early yesterday, before the protests even started, an embassy worker in Cairo sent out a statement condemning those that insult the religious feelings of Muslims, and indeed all religions. In a bizarre twist, the Obama administration felt compelled to disavow this statement.

Meanwhile, thanks to the Internet, all of this is happening in near real-time.

According to a Presidential candidate not named Ron Paul, our President was "disgraceful" because somebody in the Cairo embassy sent out an unapproved message viewed as an apology to Muslims, and this came out before Mr. Obama had a chance to formerly address the tragedy unfolding in Libya (and after Obama disavowed the message). Does this campaign have some kind of faulty dialup connection and can't keep pace with what is actually happening? Is that why you attack a sitting President on specious grounds on 9/11?

It was horrible when Keith Olbermann attacked John McCain night after night, and it is just as bad when the talking heads do the same on the right. By the way, the only sign on my lawn is Scott Brown for Senate. If you want to attack me, attack me for being non-partisan.

Is there any way to take politics out of politics? And if we can't take the politics out of politics, can we at least take it out of 9/11? Your thoughts welcome at dbarney@redmondmag.com.